ROPEWAYS IN NORTH
AMERICA
IMPACTS, BENEFITS AND
OUTLOOK
Jim Fletcher, P.E.
Engineering Specialties Group
OITAF CONGRESS - RIO de JANEIRO
October 27, 2011
PURPOSE
HISTORICAL IMPACTS AND BENEFITS OF ROPEWAYS
OUTLOOKS FOR ROPE TRASNPORTATION-NEXT 25 YEARS
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HISTORICAL IMPACTS
First Used in Asiatic Countries in the 1400’s.
Used by the Spanish Conquistadors in the Gold Mines of Columbia in
South America circa 1530s.
Significant use in North America in the late 1800’s for Gold and Silver
4000 Material Ropeways Built in North America since 1860
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HISTORICAL IMPACTS
PASSENGER TRANSPORT – FUNICULARS
SAN FRANCISCO CABLE CARE – 1870s
LOS ANGLES ECHO MOUNTAIN – 1890s
LOS ANGLES MT. WASHINGTON – 1900s
CHATTANOGGA LOOKOUT MTN – 1895
PITTSBURGH DUQUESNE
- 1877
PITTSBURGH MONONGAHELIA - 1870
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HISTORICAL IMPACTS
PASSENGER TRANSPORT – URBAN
ROOSEVELT ISLAND TRAM NEW YORK
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HISTORICAL IMPACTS
PASSENGER TRANSPORT – AUTOMATED PEOPLE MOVERS
CIRCUS CIRCUS SHUTTLE LAS VEGAS – 1981
MUD ISLAND MONORAIL MEMPHIS, TN – 1982
CINCINNATI AIRPORT
- 1994
Mandalay Bay
Mexico City Airport
Zurich Airport
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HISTORICAL IMPACTS
PASSENGER TRANSPORT – SKI RESORT ROPEWAYS
FIRST CHAIRLIFT SUN VALLEY IDAHO - 1937
FIRST DOUBLE CHAIRLIFT BERTHOUD PASS - 1946
1300 AERIAL SYSTEMS 1960 TO 1990
FIRST 4-P DETACHABLE CHARILIFT BRECKENRIDGE - 1981
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MARKET IMPACTS
PRECIOUS METALS – LATE 1800s
SKIING – POST WWII
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MARKET IMPACTS
SKIING
National Ski Areas Associate, www.nsaa.org Active Tramway Database, Sid Roslund,
Technical Director, 133 South Van Gordon St, Suite 300, Lakewood, CO. 80228,
(303) 987-1111, sidr@nsaa.org.
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MARKET IMPACTS
AUTOMATED PEOPLE MOVERS
OPERATOR
YEAR BUILT PASS/DAY
Circus Circus - LV
1981
4000
Circus Circus - Reno
1986
6000
Mandalay Bay - LV
1989
75000
Mirage Treasurer Is
1994
5000
Primadonna - NV
1990
5000
City Center – LV
2009
10000
Mud Island – TN
1981
2000
Getty Center – CA
1997
15000
Huntsville – AL
2002
2000
MANUFACTURER
SDI
SDI
DCC
SDI
SDI
DCC
SDI
Otis
Otis
Table 1 - APM Rope Systems – Leisure & Institutional
Fabian, Lawrence, Airfront.21, www.airfront.us, lfabian@airfront.us
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MARKET IMPACTS
AUTOMATED PEOPLE MOVERS
AIRPORT
Cincinnati – OH
Detroit - MI
Mexico City - Mexico
Minneapolis – MN
Minneapolis – MN
Toronto - Canada
Birmingham – UK
Tokyo – Narita
Zurich – SW
YEAR
BUILT
1994
2002
2007
2000
2004
2005
2003
1992
2003
PASS/DAY
MANUFACTURER
35000
50000
25000
10000
7000
25000
10000
40000
30000
Otis
Otis
DCC
Poma-Otis
Poma-Otis
DCC
DCC
Otis
Poma-Otis
Table 2 - APM Rope Systems – Airports
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MARKET IMPACTS
AERIAL CABIN ROPEWAYS
Cannon Mountain Tramway
Roosevelt Island Tramway
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MARKET IMPACTS
AERIAL CABIN ROPEWAYS
Portland Tramway
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BENEFITS
Economic
Safety
Environment
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BENEFITS
Economic - Skiing
75,000,000 Skier-Day Visits in North America
$3,000,000,000 Annual Investment Potential
$5,650,000,000 Annual Revenue
Winter Employment – 155,000
Summer Employment – 27,000
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BENEFITS
Economic – Automated People Movers
APM Systems - $7M - $25M per Mile
Self-Propelled - $40M - $100M per Mile
Airport Systems N/A – 25% Rope Propelled
Airport Systems World – 18% Rope Propelled
Ridership – 13% - 14% of Airport Systems
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BENEFITS
Safety
1960 to 2010 - 2,800,000,000 Skier-Day Visits
1960 to 2010 - 18,200,000,000 Passengers
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Table 3 – Ropeway Accidents North America
BENEFITS - Safety
LOCATION
DATE FATALITY INJURY
COMMENT
Nebraska Fair
7/65
2
48
Gondola-Tower Failure
Raton Pass, NM
6/68
1
7
Chairlift-Rollback
Pomerelle, Idaho
1/73
10
Chairlift-Rollback
Vail, CO
3/76
4
5
Gondola TR Wire
Jiminy Peak, MA
1/77
10
Chairlift Deropement
Hunter Mountain, NY
1/78
4
Chairlift Rollback
Squaw Valley, CA
4/78
4
32
Tram-TR Derope Wind
Heavenly, CA
4/81
17
Chairlift-Deropement
Big Powderhorn, MI
2/84
1
8
Mechanic in BW
Keystone, CO
12/85
2
48
Chairlift-BW Failure
Maple Mtn, MI
12/89
1
Tow-Clothing Caught
Sierra Ski Ranch, CA
4/93
1
1
Grip Caught in Sheave
Whistler, B.C., Canada
12/95
2
10
Chairlift-Grip Detach
Snow Valley, Ont., Can
12/96
1
1
Chairlift Deropement
Lutsen Mtn, MN
8/00
6
Gondola-Grip Failure
Angels Flight, L.A., CA
2/01
1
7
Funicular-Brake Failure
Mt. Sunapee, NH
12/07
1
Chairlift-BW Derope
Blackcome, B.C., Can.
12/08
10
Gondola-Tower Failure
Heavenly, CA
9/09
1
1
Zip Caught Chari
Devils Head, WI
12/09
14
Chairlift-Rollback
Sugarloaf, ME
12/10
8
Chairlift-Deropement
Table 3 – Ropeway Accidents North America
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BENEFITS - Safety
COMPARISON
Ropeways
Airlines
Transit
FATALITIES
21
3277
5681
PASS (x106)
18,196
19,180
176,400
RATE
0.001154
0.170100
0.032210
PERIOD
1960-2010
1960-2010
1990-2010
Table 4 – Fatality Rate per Million Passengers
COMPARISON FATALITIES PASS MILES (x108)
Ropeways
21
127.4
Airlines
1482
107,170
Transit
5681
8,308
RATE
0.1648
0.0138
0.6840
PERIOD
1960-2010
1991-2010
1990-2010
Table 5 – Fatality Rate per 100 Million Passengers Miles
COMPARISON
Ski Lifts
Elevators
Automobiles
YEARLY PASS
MILES (x106)
224.25
1,360
2,925,000
AVERAGE # OF
FATALITIES/YR.
0.324
6.000
39,000
RATE PER 100
MILLION MILES
0.144
0.441
1.330
Table 6 – Fatality Rate Comparison NSAA
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BENEFITS
Environmental
Minimal Infrastructure Along the Alignment
Transportation in Biologically Sensitive Areas
Minimal Use of Resources per Passenger-Mile of Transport
Minimal Visual Impact
Whistler-Blackcomb - CAN
Mt. Roberts - AK
Skyrail Rain Forest
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BENEFITS
Environmental
1.Planning, Design, and Construction
2.Water Use for Snowmaking
3.Water Use in Facilities
4.Water Use for Landscaping and Summer
5.Water Quality Management
6.Wastewater Management
7.Energy Use for Facilities
8.Energy Use for Snowmaking
9.Energy Use for Lifts
10.Energy Use for Vehicle Fleets
11.Waste Reduction
12.Recycling
13.Potentially Hazardous Wastes
14.Fish and Wildlife Management
15.Forest and Vegetative Management
16.Wetlands and Riparian Areas
17.Air Quality
18.Visual Quality
19.Transportation
20.Education and Outreach
21.Product Re-use
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OUTLOOK
Overall Economy
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OUTLOOK
Overall Economy
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OUTLOOK
DEBT/EBITD
Ski Resort Health
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OUTLOOK
Recreational Ropeway Potential Investment
Capital Expenditure 2004-2011 - $437,700,000
Seven Year Average - $62,500,000
Annual Required VTFH Replacement - 200,000
Average Cost per VTFH - $1,050
Required Investment – $210,000,000
Total Potential Resort Investment - $3,000,000,000
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OUTLOOK
Ropeway APM Potential Investment
One Airport System since 2005 – Mexico City by DCC
Six Airport Systems – 2000 through 2005
City Center Las Vegas – 10,000 passengers per day
Oerias Lisbon – 1000 passengers per day
Perugia Italy – 30,000 passengers per day
Venice – Transit Link
Mexico City
City Center
Venice
Lisbon
Perugia
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OUTLOOK
Ropeway APM Potential Investment
Doha
Caracas
Oakland
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CONCLUSIONS
Ropeways Have Provided the Safest Means of Public
Transport for the last 50 years.
Last 50 Years – 18,000,000,000 Passengers
Annual Ropeway Transport – 500,000,000
Resort Market Investment - $250,000,000
www.engineeringspecialtiesgroup.com
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